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Fatal Work Injuries in Ohio — 2014

Fatal work injuries totaled 184 in 2014 for Ohio, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that while the 2014 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Ohio increased by 35 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 222 in 1999 to a low of 137 in 2009. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2014, up from a revised count of 4,585 fatalities in 2013, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2014 CFOI data will be released in the late spring of 2016.

Of the 184 fatal work injuries reported in Ohio in 2014, 62 resulted from transportation incidents, 35 from contact with objects and equipment, and 34 from falls, slips, or trips. Together these three major categories accounted for over 70 percent of all fatal work injuries reported in the state. (See table 1.) Other major event categories each reported 31 or fewer deaths.

Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 33 deaths, accounting for 18 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. In the contact with objects and equipment category, 20 workplace fatalities occurred as a result of being struck by an object or equipment. In the falls, slips, or trips category, 23 deaths occurred from falls to a lower level. (Note that roadway incident counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2014 data are released in the late spring of 2016 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. In Ohio, transportation incidents accounted for 34 percent of the state’s share of fatalities. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; the share in Ohio was 18 percent. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals and contact with objects or equipment accounted for 16 percent and 15 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities, respectively. In the state, violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 17 percent of workplace fatalities, while contact with objects and equipment was responsible for 19 percent of workplace fatalities.

Additional highlights:

The construction industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 38, compared to 19 the previous year. Falls, slips, or trips accounted for 13 fatal work injuries in this industry (See table 2.)

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting had the second highest fatality count with 29, followed by transportation and warehousing with 23 worker deaths. Transportation incidents accounted for the largest number deaths in each of these industries.

Men accounted for 168, or 91 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 33 percent of these fatalities.

In Ohio, 88 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 68 percent of work-related deaths.

Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 109, or 59 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2014. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities.

Of the 184 fatal work injuries in Ohio, 71 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers and for the self-employed was transportation incidents.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This ensures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material

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Footnotes:(1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.(2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final.(p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication guidelines.

Footnotes:(1) Industry data for 2013 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Industry data for 2014 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012.(2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final.(p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.(3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Footnotes:(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.(2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final.(p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Footnotes:(1) Totals for 2013 are revised and final.(p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.(2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation.(3) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships.(4) Information may not be available for all age groups.(5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.